The Prince of Royalty (PREVIOUSLY ROYALTY HAS ITS PERKS; UNDER MAJOR EDITING)

27

"Happy birthday to you, happy birthday to you, happy birthday, dear Johnny, happy birthday to you." I grinned as my friends and family finished singing to me, blowing out the candles on the massive cake.

Bobby stuck a plastic crown my head and I grinned up at him while he poked my cheek. Ingrid and Milo hurried to my sides, and Ingrid held the camera out to Dean.

"Can you take a picture of us?" Dean smiled and took the camera, holding it up towards us four.

"One, two, three." The flash went off as the four of us grinned at the camera.

"Okay, now all eight of us," I said, and Dean handed the camera to Suzie. JT, Alex, Eli and Dean squeezed in beside me, Bobby, Ingrid and Milo and we smiled widely at the camera as Suzie counted down.

After I took some more pictures — some with my sister, some with my parents, some with all four of us — we were all eating cake around the table.

I was opening my mouth to speak when my father started coughing hoarsely. I frowned, standing from my seat. I quickly got him a glass of water and handed it to him. He gulped half of it down and began to calm his breathing.

"You alright?" I asked worriedly and he smiled weakly.

"I'm okay, Johnny." I frowned at him and he stood slowly, taking even, careful breaths. "I think I just need some air," he decided, patting my shoulder and heading for the patio. I watched him walk away slowly and turned to my mom and Suzie, whose eyes were sad.

The rest of the table was quiet, watching me confusedly and I slowly took off my crown, setting it on the table.

"Hold down the fort?" I directed to Dean. He nodded, squeezing my hand and I started for the patio.

My dad was sat in a chair, staring out into the city.

"Dad?" He met my eyes and smiled, and I sent a weak one back, sitting beside him. "Are you alright? You've been coughing a lot today," I said softly. He looked down at his hands, which were shaky in his lap.

"There's something I need to tell you, Johnny." I turned towards him, nodding. "I'm not well." I frowned.

"I... What-what do you mean you're not well?"

"Remember when you were twelve, and I got diagnosed with pancreatic cancer?" I nodded slowly, unconsciously shrinking back. "And then when you were thirteen they got it all out?" I nodded again. "Well...  a few months after that, I was feeling really sick, so I went back to the doctor, and they found more cancer."

"Wait, I... But you... you never told me that." He nodded.

"You were so young, I didn't want to scare you." I stared at him. "I didn't want to have another surgery, so they put me on chemo and it was working. But I didn't want to put that burden on you, or your mother and sister. And I thought it'd be a good idea if you guys got used to me not being around so much. So, I told your mother and we agreed that we needed to separate." I frowned, eyes burning a bit.

"That's why you got divorced?" I practically whispered. He nodded with a sigh.

"And I've wanted to tell you, for a long time now. But it was never a good time." I shook my head.

"I-I don't understand why you're telling me this now." He sighed softly, staring at me with the eyes he gave to me and my own welled up. "Dad..." He shut his eyes. I felt sick to my stomach. "You-you're not sick again, please tell me you're not sick."

"I only have a few months left, Johnny." I shook my head.

"W-why wouldn't you tell me? I would've helped you, I-I would've stayed." He nodded.